A dog in a misty forest in Good Boy© Shudder / courtesy Everett Collection
By
Shawn S. Lealos
Published 27 minutes ago
Shawn S. Lealos is an entertainment writer who is a voting member of the Oklahoma Film Critics Circle. He has written for Screen Rant, CBR, ComicBook, The Direct, The Sportster, Chud, 411mania, Renegade Cinema, Yahoo Movies, and many more.
Shawn has a bachelor's degree in professional writing and a minor in film studies from the University of Oklahoma. He also has won numerous awards, including several Columbia Gold Circle Awards and an SPJ honor. He also wrote Dollar Deal: The Story of the Stephen King Dollar Baby Filmmakers, the first official book about the Dollar Baby film program. Shawn is also currently writing his first fiction novel under a pen name, based in the fantasy genre.
To learn more, visit his website at shawnlealos.net.
Sign in to your ScreenRant account Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recapThere have been countless movies in history featuring dogs, and the best dogs in movies are a mix of beloved legends and funny canines. This goes all the way back to the silent era of filmmaking, with one of the most iconic dog actors taking part in movies at that time. Since then, dogs have played significant roles in films.
Dog movies have gotten bigger and better, including films like A Dog's Purpose and A Dog's Way Home. There is even a new horror movie called Good Boy that is getting rave reviews for its dog actor. In these movies, one thing that people should always look at is the quality of the dog's acting to make it a classic.
Beethoven - Beethoven (1992)
Beethoven in his 1992 movie
Beethoven was a family comedy about a large St. Bernard dog named after the famous musical composer. The human cast was excellent, with Charles Grodin, Bonnie Hunt, Oliver Platt, and Stanley Tucci, but the real star here was the dog. The dog Beethoven was played by a St. Bernard named Chris, who also has 12 doubles used in the movie.
The film follows a family who takes in a St. Bernard named Beethoven, who then becomes massive and destructive, but needs his new owners to protect him from a corrupt veterinarian who is involved in unethical animal experiments. This is a movie about a family who loves a dog so much that they will fight to protect him.
The best part of the movie is the relationship between Charles Grodin's George and Beethoven, as the dog continuously frustrates him, but the love for the dog grows by the day. Beethoven features one of the darkest villains, and it is all because of how much people love the dog.
Baxter - Anchorman (2004)
Will Ferrell and Christina Applegate with Baxter in front of a bear in Anchorman The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Out of all the best dogs in movies, Baxter is really the only one who is simply around for comedic reasons. Of course, Anchorman: The Legend of Rob Burgundy is a Will Ferrell and Adam McKay movie where Ferrell plays a 1975 news anchor who faces insecurity when forced to partner with a female co-host (Christina Applegate).
Baxter is Ron's dog, and the humor comes from the fact that Ron talks to Baxter, and the film makes it seem like he can understand Baxter talking back to him. The film also sees Baxter being punted off the San Diego-Coronado Bridge, only to come back alive later to save Ron from a beating at the zoo.
This is an interesting case of a dog actor in a movie because Baxter is played by two different dogs in the franchise. The first movie was a dog named Peanut, and after Peanut died in 2010, a rescue dog named Quince replaced him. Peanut was also a rescue from an animal shelter.
Rin Tin Tin - Where The North Begins (1923)
Claire Adams as Felice McTavish with Rin Tin Tin
Rin Tin Tin was a German Shepherd actor who lived from 1918 to 1932. The dog's real-life story was an interesting one, as he was rescued from a World War I battlefield by an American soldier. When the soldier returned home, he got the dog to work in silent films. Rin Tin Tin appeared in 27 films.
His best movie appearance came in the 1923 movie Where the North Begins, which saw the dog play a "Wolf-Dog" who was adopted by a wolf pack in Canada and became close friends with a French fur trapper. He is then falsely accused of attacking a baby and runs for his life until his name is cleared.
It should be noted that there were several Rin Tin Tin movies after the dog died, as well as a TV series in the 1950s, but none of these were the original Rin Tin Tin.
Hachiko - Hachi: A Dog's Tale (2009)
Richard Gere as Parker Wilson in Hachi: A Dog's Tale
Hachi: A Dog's Tale is the remake of a 1987 Japanese movie called Hachikō Monogatari. In this movie, released in 2009, Richard Gere plays a professor named Parker who adopts a small Akita dog that was abandoned at a train station. Hachi walks Parker to the train every day and is there when he returns every evening.
However, this is a depressing movie, as Parker dies while away from home and the dog waits patiently for him never to return. Over the years, Hachi goes to the train station every day waiting for Parker, and does this until the day the dog dies. It's a genuinely heartbreaking movie about how much a dog loves its people.
There is a sweet story behind the scenes, where the train station where the movie was shot had a statue of Hachi made to greet everyone who gets off the train when they arrive in town. Hachi was played by three different dogs named Layla, Chico, and Forrest.
Benji - Benji (1974)
Benji standing in some weeds
There were sequels, and even a remake in 2018, but kids in the 1970s knew who the real Benji is. This little mixed-breed golden dog first appeared in its self-titled movie in 1974. A dog named Higgins played Benji in this first film, and that is the one that made the little guy a major Hollywood star.
In Benji, the dog is a stray, friendly pup in a small Texas town who the townspeople adore. While two kids want to bring Benji into their home, their doctor-father rejects it. However, when some robbers kidnap the children, Benji is the one who sets out to save their lives and prove his place in their family.
With an 86% Rotten Tomatoes rating, it was a massive success, grossing over $45 million at the box office on a low $500,000 budget. After Higgins, the Benji franchise used only stray dogs from shelters, which was reported to lead to a massive increase in people rescuing dogs from shelters around the country.
Hooch - Turner & Hooch (1989)
Tom Hanks in Turner & Hooch
Tom Hanks was still early in his career and was taking on comedy roles. He was in the TV series Bosom Buddies, the movie Splash, and a buddy cop film where one of the cops was a dog. That movie was Turner & Hooch, and in it, Hooch was played by a Dogue de Bordeauxnamed Beasley.
Hanks plays a police investigator named Scott Turner, and he is forced to take custody of Hooch, who is the only witness to the murder of one of Turner's longtime friends. Hooch is a loud and destructive dog, which contrasts wildly with Turner's clean, meticulous lifestyle, but as expected, the dog helps Turner discover who he is supposed to be.
Beasley the Dog was the main star as Hooch, but the film also had several stand-ins when needed. However, the lovable-looking dog was a perfect match for Hanks' comedy acting, and he remains one of the best dogs ever to appear in a movie.
Toto - The Wizard Of Oz (1939)
Dorothy holding Toto in front of the Tin Man and The Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz
With Wicked bringing The Wizard of Oz back to people's consciousness, it is a good time to remember that the reason Dorothy fought so hard against the Wicked Witch of the West (and her real-world counterpart, Almira Gulch) was to protect her little dog, Toto. In the original 1939 movie, a dog named Terry played Toto.
Terry was a Cairn Terrier performer, and The Wizard of Oz was her only credited role. However, though she never received credit in another movie, she is still one of the most famous dogs in any film. The fact that Gulch, and later the Wicked Witch of the West, wanted to hurt this dog made both of them instant villains.
The fact that Terry wasn't credited, though, does not mean that she wasn't in any other movie. She also appeared in films like Ready for Love, Bright Eyes, and The Women, but didn't receive credit for her appearances. Despite this, she made $125 per week for The Wizard of Oz, which was more than most human actors in the film.
Buddy - Air Bud (1997)
Buddy wearing sneakers and a jersey, playing basketball in the court in Air Bud
Air Bud is a sports comedy about a dog with the ability to play basketball. It stars Kevin Zeggers as Josh Framm, a pre-teen whose father died, and he had to relocate to Washington. One day, while Josh is practicing basketball, a golden retriever shows up after he escaped his abusive owner. Josh soon learns Bud can play basketball.
The movie stars a dog named Buddy, who plays a dog with the same name (and Bud for short). When the dog becomes a local sensation, his abusive owner returns and tries to regain ownership of the dog. The film also makes the smart move of having the judge in the case allow Buddy to choose his owner.
It was a huge success, making $27.8 million on a $3 million budget. This movie also spawned a film franchise that included sequels and a spin-off series called Air Buddies with puppies going on adventures. Sadly, Buddy only appeared in this single movie because he had a leg amputated the year the movie came out, thanks to cancer.
Indy - Good Boy (2025)
Indy is staring at Shane Jensen as Todd in Good Boy
Good Boy is a supernatural horror movie, and the entire focus is on a dog. The film sees Shane Jensen play a man named Todd, who has a lung disease and moves into a rural home with his dog, Indy. However, this house is haunted by a supernatural and malevolent spirit, and the only one who sees it is Indy.
Ben Leonberg directed this haunted house movie from the perspective of a dog. Indy had no acting experience coming into the movie, but there's one reason the dog was so great in his role as the lead character. Indy was Leonberg's dog, and he was able to act so well thanks to his owner being behind the camera.
Good Boy received positive reviews, with a 90% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. While some critics complained about pacing issues, almost everyone was unanimous in praising Indy and the dog's performance in the film.
Lassie - Lassie Come Home (1943)
Lassie with Roddy McDowall as Joe in Lassie Come Home
Lassie remains one of the most famous and beloved dogs in movie history. Lassie was a fictional female Rough Collie dog from the 1940 novel, Lassie Come Home. Three years later, a dog named Pal was brought in to play Lassie in the adaptation of that novel. Pal later appeared in six other MGM films as the beloved Lassie.
The first movie was set in Depression-era Yorkshire, England, when a couple has to sell their dog, Lassie, to a wealthy duke, but the young Joe Carraclough becomes depressed at the loss of his beloved dog. When Lassie escapes her new, unhappy home, she finds her way hundreds of miles back home to little Joe.
The movie was added to the very first year of the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 1993. After Pal died, it was her own descendants who appeared in later movies, TV shows, and more. In all, Lassie was the best dog in movie history.
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